Trawler Blogs

September 14, 15 2024 At Sea between Pohnpei and Bakawari, Papua New Guinea

Departing Pohnpei about 1930, Seabourn Pursuit continued south overnight.  The wind and swell were on the beam, with the seas about 10 feet at 9 second period, so the ship had moderate roll motions.  This wave height is typical for the Pacific Ocean, which has an average wave height of 3 meters.

The sunrise was spectacular once again and we had no rain all day.  At 1400 we held the Equator crossing ceremony and my sister, Julie, being a Polliwog, was inducted during the ceremony into being a Shellback, so we now had permission from King Neptune to cross the equator with no Polliwogs on board.

Lectures today included one on Seabirds and another on mangrove swamps.

September 15, 2024 – At Sea

September 16, 2024

The Seabourn Pursuit took up position off Bakawari Island, Papua New Guinea at 0600.  

Bakawari Island lies next to Bougainville Island Papau New Guinea

The ship was cleared by the local authorities about 0700 and Patrick headed off for a Kayak excursion.  At 0830, other guests were shuttled ashore in color groups and were treated to a folkloric performance by three local groups on Bakawari Island.  The kayak tour finished just in time to be delivered to the beach for the performance.

Dancing at Bakawari Island

Some of the bamboo flutes used by the performers

Native canoes fishing

Coral formation while kayaking

Native Canoe

By 1200, all guests were back on board and Seabourn Pursuit headed for Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, our next destination.  Our route takes the ship down the “Slot”, through Bougainville Straits and past Savo Island before docking at Honiara.

The area we are transiting is larger than we expected.  The distance from Bakawari Island to Honiara, Guadalcanal is 335 NM.  To make that distance overnight means Seabourn Pursuit has to average more than 15 knots.  Fortunately the seas and wind are favorable.

One of the reasons for making this cruise is the opportunity to visit locations in which my father served while in the USN in WWII. 

This morning, with calm seas and sunny skies, we are approaching Savo Island and will pass by the final resting place of the USS Astoria, which sank following a fierce night battle just off Savo Island, only two days after the USMC landed at Red Beach on Guadalcanal.  The night of August 9, 1942, a night attack by the Japanese navy caught the allies off guard.  Four heavy cruisers were sunk, three US and one Australian.  Three cruisers were sunk in just a few minutes between 0230 and 0300.  The USS Astoria did not sink immediately, but was badly damaged.  The crew initially abandoned ship, but later 350 crew returned to try and save the ship.  My father was one of those who returned to the ship.  He told us about jumping off the bow initially, and returning to collect the bodies of those killed and preparing them for burial by sewing the corpses into hammocks while eating stewed tomatoes since the galleys were unusable and on fire.  Initially we were skeptical of some aspects of that story, but when we saw the same story in other eyewitness accounts, we were convinced he had survived a horrific experience.

However, the crews’ efforts were in vain, as underwater explosions in the bow area fatally damaged USS Astoria (my father was aft at that time).  The ship was abandoned once again and at 1215 that day, August 9, 1942 the USS Astoria listed 30 degrees, then capsized and sank stern first in 2800 feet of water about 2 miles from Savo Island.  More than 247 sailors perished and another 250 were wounded.  It was the worst defeat at sea for the US Navy, excluding Pearl Harbor.  The USS Astoria was rediscovered by Paul Allen in 2015, in 2800 feet of water, with the bow missing.

The bridge display as we were at closest point to Astoria

Last known phot of Astoria, one day before sinking

Photo of Astoria remains by Paul Allen

Savo Island

We wer fortunate to be on the bridge of Seabourn Pursuit when we passed just 2.85 nm from the location of the USS Astoria.  We observed several minutes of silence in memory of the hundreds of navy personnel who died in that action on both the Astoria and the other three ships.

My father was then reassigned to the destroyer USS Blue.  That ship was torpedoed on August 22, 1942 and scuttled on August 23, 1942, after unsuccessful attempts to save her.  My father also survived that sinking.

USS Blue – DD-387

The area between Savo Island and Guadalcanal has been named Iron Bottom Sound, since more than 50 allied and Japanese ships were sunk in the 7 month Guadalcanal campaign.  Iron Bottom Sound is considered a sacred place due to all the people who perished and whose remains went to the bottom.  Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands campaigns marked the beginning of the successful, but bloody island hopping strategy which the Allies used to eventually defeat Japan.

The Battle of Savo Island was also a turning point for the US and it’s allies in that the Japanese failed to destroy the troop transports and supply ships lying off of Red Beach, just a few miles from the Savo Island battle, instead withdrawing after destroying the four heavy cruisers.  The pattern of tactical victory but strategic mistake would persist throughout the war.

Seabourn Pursuit docked at the container port in Honiara, Guadalcanal at 1100, and by 1140 we were on a bus tour of the Eastern Battlefields of the Guadalcanal campaign.  

Honiara is the capital of the Solomon Islands, a sprawling independent nation with more than 95 major islands and a total population of more than 700,000.  Honiara has a population of about 65,000.  This island nation is being impacted by climate change, with sea levels rising 8 mm per year, more than the average worldwide. The evidence of WWII is still present, with significant amounts of unexploded munitions still being discovered 82 years later.

The first tour stop was at Red Beach, where the USMC landed on August 7, 1942, with little opposition.  That was soon to change as the USMC took control of Henderson field (our second stop) and set up defensive perimeters, including one at “Bloody Ridge”, our third stop of the tour.  We finished the tour with visits to the Japanese War Memorial and the the US War Memorial.  The Guadalcanal took seven months to achieve victory, with more than 7,000 Allied deaths and more than 19,000 Japanese deaths.

Monument at Red Beach

Red Beach

Memorial Park at Henderson Field

View from Bloody Ridge

Monument at Bloody Ridge

Japanese War Memorial

View of Savo Island from US Memorial

Battle of Savo Island at Memorial

List of US Ships sunk at Guadalcanal

Blog Post 5 – Pohnpei and Nan Madol

September 13, 2024

Before it was fully light, Seabourn Pursuit took up position outside the barrier reef near the harbor entrance for Pohnpei and the town of Kolonia.  Pohnpei is about 21 KM in diameter, surrounded by a fringing barrier reef.  Pohnpei is also the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia and the island has a population of about 30,000.  There were a number of freighters anchored inside the barrier reef, but the lagoon has many shallow spots and is not really suitable for a ship the size of Seabourn Pursuit.

The trip into the municipal wharf was about 15 minutes-3 miles in the zodiacs.

Patrick had arranged an independent tour to meet Yvonne and David Hawkins.  David is one of the sons of Tom and Joyce Hawkins, long time friends in Anacortes.  I was given a great tour of the local area before returning to the wharf for the trip to Nan Madol.

Pohnpei

Japanese Tanks from the war

The preamble to the FSM Constitution

Capital Entrance to FSM

Nan Madol is a mysterious set of stone structures located at the southwest corner of Pohnpei, 93 artificial islets in the lagoon are linked by stone causeways.  Archeologists believe the structures were constructed in the 1200’s by the Sandeleur dynasty and were occupied up to about 1628. 

The name Nan Madol means “within the intervals” and is a reference to the canals that crisscross the ruins. The original name was Soun Nan-leng, “Reef of Heaven,” according to Gene Ashby in his book Pohnpei, An Island Argosy.

The site measures about 1.5 by 0.5 KM.  Not much is really known about the dynasty or the civilization that occupied Nan Madol.  Nan Madol is sometimes referred to as “the Venice of the Pacific” or even as “Atlantis”. 

In the four hundred years since Nan Madol was abandoned, the jungle is slowly taking over and hence it is listed as a “Threatened World Heritage Site.

Nan Madol is at the opposite end of Pohnpei from the capital, Kolonia, a drive of 26 miles or 1 ½ hours on narrow, rutted, winding roads.  Our drive was in intense rain showers.

Arriving at the trailhead in heavy rain, we started down the trail, ducking under a tree that had fallen earlier in the day.  The trail is made of both chunks of coral and rocks, not level at all.  There were a series of crude bridges across flooded areas in the mangrove swamps.  The final approach to the ruins included wading through knee deep water on a sandy bottom.

Window construction

Mangrove Swamps surround the ruins

Unique and stable construction

Looking across the final channel to the main ruins

Blocks scattered everywhere

One of the many bridges on the trail

The basalt stones are stacked like logs in layers alternating directions, creating a very stable structure without any mortar.  In this climate, no mortar was needed.  The shape of the basalt logs is not round, but mostly 4, 5, or 6 sided.  Only the main temple has been excavated, but represents just a fraction of the entire complex.

Returning back to the trailhead, two more trees had fallen across the trail, so we had to scramble through the trunks and branches blocking our path.  Patrick’s van took up the last position as security for the bus ahead, which had engine problems.  Sure enough, some 25 KM from the wharf the bus finally stalled again, so we were sent ahead to get a replacement bus.  The local fire medics that had accompanied us on the trail were there also and stayed with the bus. Pohnpei is very rugged, with hills to 2500 feet, so the portable radios were useless until within a mile or so of the wharf.   The height of the hills also attracts intense rain, with Pohnpei getting some 7600 mm of rain per year, one of the wettest places on Earth.

A replacement bus was ordered when we got into cell phone range (Pohnpei has a proprietary cell phone system and USA phones do not work), so everyone arrived safely back in the dark to the wharf only an hour or so late.  The crew had beverages and appetizers waiting at the gangway for all of us who were delayed.

Patrick had just time for a quick shower before meeting Miriam and Julie for dinner.

Blog Post 5 – Pohnpei and Nan Madol

September 13, 2024

Before it was fully light, Seabourn Pursuit took up position outside the barrier reef near the harbor entrance for Pohnpei and the town of Kolonia.  Pohnpei is about 21 KM in diameter, surrounded by a fringing barrier reef.  Pohnpei is also the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia and the island has a population of about 30,000.  There were a number of freighters anchored inside the barrier reef, but the lagoon has many shallow spots and is not really suitable for a ship the size of Seabourn Pursuit.

The trip into the municipal wharf was about 15 minutes-3 miles in the zodiacs.

Patrick had arranged an independent tour to meet Yvonne and David Hawkins.  David is one of the sons of Tom and Joyce Hawkins, long time friends in Anacortes.  I was given a great tour of the local area before returning to the wharf for the trip to Nan Madol.

Pohnpei

Japanese Tanks from the war

The preamble to the FSM Constitution

Capital Entrance to FSM

Nan Madol is a mysterious set of stone structures located at the southwest corner of Pohnpei, 93 artificial islets in the lagoon are linked by stone causeways.  Archeologists believe the structures were constructed in the 1200’s by the Sandeleur dynasty and were occupied up to about 1628. 

The name Nan Madol means “within the intervals” and is a reference to the canals that crisscross the ruins. The original name was Soun Nan-leng, “Reef of Heaven,” according to Gene Ashby in his book Pohnpei, An Island Argosy.

The site measures about 1.5 by 0.5 KM.  Not much is really known about the dynasty or the civilization that occupied Nan Madol.  Nan Madol is sometimes referred to as “the Venice of the Pacific” or even as “Atlantis”. 

In the four hundred years since Nan Madol was abandoned, the jungle is slowly taking over and hence it is listed as a “Threatened World Heritage Site.

Nan Madol is at the opposite end of Pohnpei from the capital, Kolonia, a drive of 26 miles or 1 ½ hours on narrow, rutted, winding roads.  Our drive was in intense rain showers.

Arriving at the trailhead in heavy rain, we started down the trail, ducking under a tree that had fallen earlier in the day.  The trail is made of both chunks of coral and rocks, not level at all.  There were a series of crude bridges across flooded areas in the mangrove swamps.  The final approach to the ruins included wading through knee deep water on a sandy bottom.

Window construction

Mangrove Swamps surround the ruins

Unique and stable construction

Looking across the final channel to the main ruins

Blocks scattered everywhere

One of the many bridges on the trail

The basalt stones are stacked like logs in layers alternating directions, creating a very stable structure without any mortar.  In this climate, no mortar was needed.  The shape of the basalt logs is not round, but mostly 4, 5, or 6 sided.  Only the main temple has been excavated, but represents just a fraction of the entire complex.

Returning back to the trailhead, two more trees had fallen across the trail, so we had to scramble through the trunks and branches blocking our path.  Patrick’s van took up the last position as security for the bus ahead, which had engine problems.  Sure enough, some 25 KM from the wharf the bus finally stalled again, so we were sent ahead to get a replacement bus.  The local fire medics that had accompanied us on the trail were there also and stayed with the bus. Pohnpei is very rugged, with hills to 2500 feet, so the portable radios were useless until within a mile or so of the wharf.   The height of the hills also attracts intense rain, with Pohnpei getting some 7600 mm of rain per year, one of the wettest places on Earth.

A replacement bus was ordered when we got into cell phone range (Pohnpei has a proprietary cell phone system and USA phones do not work), so everyone arrived safely back in the dark to the wharf only an hour or so late.  The crew had beverages and appetizers waiting at the gangway for all of us who were delayed.

Patrick had just time for a quick shower before meeting Miriam and Julie for dinner.

September 12, 2024 – Oroluk Lagoon

Overnight the ship travelled to Oroluk Lagoon.  There were still some residual effects of the low pressure zone the ship passed through on the voyage from Guam.  The ship motions were not as extreme, but still there were shudders as particularly large swells brought the bulbous bow out of the water.  The ship’s clocks will also be set forward one hour tonight as we continue eastward towards our destination, so we lose an hour of sleep. 

Oroluk Lagoon

Oroluk Lagoon is a marine sanctuary and part of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia.  The lagoon is a nesting site for Green Turtles and a breeding colony for Black Noddies and other seabirds.  There is only one island left on the atoll, which measures 12 by 20 miles.  The rest have been washed away by tropical cyclones over the years.  There are bananas and Taro plantations on the island, with just a few semi-permanent residents from the Kapinga district of Pohnpei, who are supplied twice a year by ship.  The atoll was “discovered” by Spanish explorers in 1565, but was probably known to the Micronesian people in the area.

Tomorrow the captain will position the ship off the northwest corner of the fringing barrier reef.  The ship will not enter the lagoon itself, nor will anyone go ashore.  Our activities will consist of submersible dives alongside a 800 foot deep wall and snorkeling in a different area, also alongside a wall where the fringing reef begins.  This will be a more strenuous snorkel experience, only for strong swimmers, due to both water depth and tidal currents in and out of the lagoon through a few passes.  Patrick, Miriam and Julie decided to let others partake of this experience.

The ship plans to arrive at 0800 and depart at 1630.  Patrick is currently scheduled for Dive #1 at 0900.  This dive will be a new dive for Seabourn Pursuit, going down the wall to a depth of about 200 meters, or 660 feet.  It should be dark at that depth, so the submersible will be using lights to illuminate the wall and allow passengers to see the variety and different life forms as the submersible moves down the wall and loses the surface light.

For those guests not going on the submersibles or snorkeling there will a variety of lectures and activities, very similar to a day at sea.

OK, what really happened.

The weather cooperated as we approached Oroluk Island at the NE corner of the atoll, the only island remaining on the atoll.  Seabourn Pursuit arrived about 0800 and positioned in a small lee about 1500 feet from the fringing reef and held position with dynamic positioning.  

Oroluk Island at the NE corner of the lagoon

The submersibles and zodiacs were launched and promptly at 0900 operations commenced. Patrick was fortunate to be on the first dive, along with the ship videographer.  The plan was to reach 200 meters in depth and then approach the wall of the fringing reef.  At 50 meters from the wall and 200 meters depth the visibility was so good that we could see the wall clearly without lights.  There was not much life here, but at 150 meters depth we saw oceanic sharks.  Slowly ascending to the surface the life increased until at 50 meters there was an abundance of sea life and coral.

50 meters from the wall at 200 meters depth

Just before lunch Patrick headed out for a short snorkeling session on the reef wall, despite originally planning to avoid.  There were a lot of different types of fish, including a small reef shark, but the coral near the surface was largely dead even though at deeper depths we saw some massive coral formations.

Seabourn Pursuit continued to hold position throughout the afternoon while everyone who wanted to snorkel had a chance and at 1530 we headed around the east side of the atoll and set a course west for Pohnpei, some 200 NM away, our next stop and the location of Nan Madol, a World Heritage Site threatened by climate change.

The rain squalls held off so we experienced the Seabourn Signature “Caviar in the Pool” event at 1700, followed by a expedition recap at 1800.

September 12, 2024 – Oroluk Lagoon

Overnight the ship travelled to Oroluk Lagoon.  There were still some residual effects of the low pressure zone the ship passed through on the voyage from Guam.  The ship motions were not as extreme, but still there were shudders as particularly large swells brought the bulbous bow out of the water.  The ship’s clocks will also be set forward one hour tonight as we continue eastward towards our destination, so we lose an hour of sleep. 

Oroluk Lagoon

Oroluk Lagoon is a marine sanctuary and part of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia.  The lagoon is a nesting site for Green Turtles and a breeding colony for Black Noddies and other seabirds.  There is only one island left on the atoll, which measures 12 by 20 miles.  The rest have been washed away by tropical cyclones over the years.  There are bananas and Taro plantations on the island, with just a few semi-permanent residents from the Kapinga district of Pohnpei, who are supplied twice a year by ship.  The atoll was “discovered” by Spanish explorers in 1565, but was probably known to the Micronesian people in the area.

Tomorrow the captain will position the ship off the northwest corner of the fringing barrier reef.  The ship will not enter the lagoon itself, nor will anyone go ashore.  Our activities will consist of submersible dives alongside a 800 foot deep wall and snorkeling in a different area, also alongside a wall where the fringing reef begins.  This will be a more strenuous snorkel experience, only for strong swimmers, due to both water depth and tidal currents in and out of the lagoon through a few passes.  Patrick, Miriam and Julie decided to let others partake of this experience.

The ship plans to arrive at 0800 and depart at 1630.  Patrick is currently scheduled for Dive #1 at 0900.  This dive will be a new dive for Seabourn Pursuit, going down the wall to a depth of about 200 meters, or 660 feet.  It should be dark at that depth, so the submersible will be using lights to illuminate the wall and allow passengers to see the variety and different life forms as the submersible moves down the wall and loses the surface light.

For those guests not going on the submersibles or snorkeling there will a variety of lectures and activities, very similar to a day at sea.

OK, what really happened.

The weather cooperated as we approached Oroluk Island at the NE corner of the atoll, the only island remaining on the atoll.  Seabourn Pursuit arrived about 0800 and positioned in a small lee about 1500 feet from the fringing reef and held position with dynamic positioning.  

Oroluk Island at the NE corner of the lagoon

The submersibles and zodiacs were launched and promptly at 0900 operations commenced. Patrick was fortunate to be on the first dive, along with the ship videographer.  The plan was to reach 200 meters in depth and then approach the wall of the fringing reef.  At 50 meters from the wall and 200 meters depth the visibility was so good that we could see the wall clearly without lights.  There was not much life here, but at 150 meters depth we saw oceanic sharks.  Slowly ascending to the surface the life increased until at 50 meters there was an abundance of sea life and coral.

50 meters from the wall at 200 meters depth

Just before lunch Patrick headed out for a short snorkeling session on the reef wall, despite originally planning to avoid.  There were a lot of different types of fish, including a small reef shark, but the coral near the surface was largely dead even though at deeper depths we saw some massive coral formations.

Seabourn Pursuit continued to hold position throughout the afternoon while everyone who wanted to snorkel had a chance and at 1530 we headed around the east side of the atoll and set a course west for Pohnpei, some 200 NM away, our next stop and the location of Nan Madol, a World Heritage Site threatened by climate change.

The rain squalls held off so we experienced the Seabourn Signature “Caviar in the Pool” event at 1700, followed by a expedition recap at 1800.